Shogi
by Phoenixofdarkness62
Summary: Shikamaru didn't have a clue what was going on, how this occured, or even if it was possible. He just 'woke' in a sterile white area, a certain pink haired girl with brown eyes glaring at him, shogi board before her.


He blinked to the all white that was around him. Where was he? Everything was so sterile it seemed, and so… silent. With a halfhearted try, he sat up only to see a pair of brown eyes glaring at him intently.

"Hurry the fuck up already." She spat, her brown eyes burning with malice. Shikamaru looked around. What was this place? And what was so doing here?

He got up and walked over to where she sat, on the opposite side of the Shogi board. "Aren't you dead?" He asked bluntly. She looked into his eyes with a cold stare, and tossed her pink hair over her shoulders. "Tell me something I don't know." She snarled, making the first move. Instantly he countered.

He looked up from the board to her. "We didn't decide who'd go first." He said, still slightly stunned at the situation. She rolled her eyes irritated. "Fuck that, I decided for you." She said, moving another piece. It was an interesting move.

"Okay, then where are we?"

^click^

"The hell if I know, but I've been waiting awhile."

^click^

"Really? How long?"

^click^

"I don't know."

^click^

"Can you guess?"

^click^

She shoved the board slightly. "What part of 'the hell if I know' do you not get?" She snapped. "Well sorry, for trying to figure out what's going on." Shikamaru snapped back, a rare showing of temper. He gave her a cold glare. She silenced her face contorting as she restrained herself. "Did you change or something?" She asked awkwardly straight forward, and blunt as she moved another piece.

Shikamaru looked at himself. "I guess. I a grew a bit since you saw me last time." He said, producing a pack of cigarettes. He lit one, and breathed out smoke. "I didn't know you smoked." She muttered covering her mouth and nose. "You want one?" He offered taking another drag. She glared at him, and smacked the box out of his hand, the cancer sticks going everywhere. "I'm a musician dammit." She said observing the board. Shikamaru set his next piece down.

"Fine I'll put it out," He said extinguishing it the on the white ground. "Troublesome woman…" He mumbled afterwards.

"Shut the fuck up, I'm focusing." She snapped. After several minutes of deliberation, she made her next move. For a while after it was silent as they focused on the game.

"I never knew your name." Shikamaru said after awhile surprising himself. "Tayuya." She said, her eyes still trained on the board.

"Pretty name." Shikamaru commented. She glanced at him. "You say that to every girl." She said. He shrugged. "So?" It was silent again.

"That bitch, how's she doing?" Tayuya said after awhile. Shikamaru paused, confused. "Who?" He asked. "The bitch with the fan." Tayuya growled. "Temari?" Shikamaru asked back. "How in the hell would I know? I don't exactly ask the enemy what their names are. Sure, let's go with that. I mean the bitch who killed me, is she still fucking alive?" Tayuya said, getting into Shikamaru's face.

"Yeah, she's still alive." He said bluntly. She rolled her eyes again, muttering a slur of curses under her breath as Shikamaru made his next move. Another spell of silence.

"Is this genjustsu?" He asked after a time. She slammed her hand on the board, and looked at him disdainfully. "Yes, it's a genjutsu that brings dead people back to life so you can play shogi with them." She spat. "Fuck no this isn't a damn genjutsu."

"Just asking, my name's Shikamaru by the way." Shikamaru said coolly as he reanalyzed the board. She glared at him through her uneven bangs. "I didn't ask for it." She snapped, as her piece snapped against the board.

"I know that. You wouldn't have asked for it anyway." Shikamaru remarked making his move slowly. "And how do you figure that genius?" She snarled, slamming her next piece down. He looked up from the board and locked eyes with her. "You said it yourself, you don't ask the enemy for their name." He stated, which lead to another break of silence.

"Is Kimimaro still alive?" She asked after a time. He shook his head. "None of them are," He remarked, making his move. She grimaced, at the move or the information he couldn't guess.

"What about the bastard?"

"Sasuke or Orchimaru?"

"Both."

"Sasuke allied with the Akatsuki; Orchimaru's dead."

"Who killed him?"

"Itachi Uchiha."

"Figures." She muttered as it fell back to silence. The game was ending.

"Has it been getting progressively greyer?" Shikamaru asked. "What the fuck are you talking about? It's still sterile and white as ever." She stated. "So it is just me." He said. She looked up. "The fuck you talking about?" She growled.

"I think I'm leaving here soon." Shikamaru said, making another, although rushed move.

"Good for fucking you." She snapped, making her move. The moves became more rushed, as the white changed to grey. Finally the voices that had been whispering in his head echoed off the walls, and he knew he couldn't make another move.

"This was the best game of Shogi I've ever played." He admitted, embarrassed. Tayuya scoffed. "No it wasn't." She snapped.

"When you died, what to know what I thought?" He said. Before she could respond he told her. "I knew you'd be one hell of a Shogi player." He told her. Her brown eyes that always seemed fixed in a scowl softened, and she almost smiled. The grey rushed into Shikamaru's eyes, and it was over.

"Shika! Shikamaru!" Ino and Choji chorused. "You scared us!" Ino said, obviously relieved beyond belief. Shikamaru looked around the hospital room. "How long was I out?"

"Three days." Choji supplied.

Shikamaru stared at him blankly. It felt like it was only hours with her. He shook his head. "Sorry guys." He said, his usual lazy demeanor returning.

"What did you see when you were unconscious?" They asked. He stared at him.

"I played the best fucking game of Shogi in my life." He said simply.

* * *

><p>AN: Tayuya is my favorite female character in Naruto; don't ask me why. So I really wanted to post something with her in it. I was re-reading the Sasuke Retrival Arc and remembered Shikamaru's comments on her probably being one hell of a Shogi player, so this idea was born.


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